By Mitch Silver
Hear that sound? It’s the noise records make when they shatter. Which explains all the sonic booms coming from Hornidge Road, home of the Rye Neck Indoor Track team.
No sooner had the season kicked off with the aptly named Kick-Off Meet at the Armory December 10, than two Panther indoor records were no more. Senior captain Chris Ortiz broke the Boys’ 55-meter hurdles record with a time of 9.89 seconds, and sophomore Sonia Finkenberg lowered the Girls’ 1000-meter mark with a time of 3:11. And that was just the appetizer.
The team, headed by Coaches Myla Allen and Dennis Loosen along with Assistant Coach Marcella Scalise, took to the boards a week ago at the Freshmen/Sophomore Meet at Rockland Community College, and the Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational Meet back at the Armory a day later. First, Finkenberg came in second in the Girls’ 3000m with a time of 11:14. She also took 4th place in the 600m with a time of 1:54. The underclassmen placed third in the Boys’ 4x800m relay in 10:13.
Saturday was the real record breaker. Finkenberg displayed her versatility by crushing Rye Neck’s record for the mile with a time of 5:36. Brendan Tuohy did the same on the boys’ side in 4:55, while co-captain Raymond Rivituso set a new 400m mark with a time of 58.09. And Chris Ortiz lowered his week-old record in the hurdles by .13 seconds.
Relay records fell as well. The boys’ 4x200m team finished in 1:42 and the 4x400m relay team was timed in 3:42. Daniel Ricci’s weight throw of 22¼ feet is also a new school record.
Whew…and it isn’t even Christmas.
Seniors Raymond Rivituso and Chris Ortiz flank sophomore Anna Boswell.
